Zoom B1-4 & B3N - Effects patch ideas and tips

[Al Krow]

If you have very recently got one of these (or the X rated version!):

Or been a long time fan of this:

Then there are a LOT of great individual effects available which are common across both multi fx pedals. You'll likely agree with me that a huge amount of the benefit / fun is going to come from creating our own bespoke patches to improve on some of the pre-loaded ones.

Thought it would be good to have a thread for any of us who fancy sharing the details of any patches you've made and finding useful (ideally with a close up pic of the effects settings) OR if you want some help / ideas for pulling a particular sound / effects patch together - please shout! 

PC Editing Software

For editing purposes on your PC either the free Zoom editing software or that provided by ToneLib - Zoom are both really useful.

There is also now this: https://tonelib.net/forums/

Comparison of B1-4 vs MS-60B

The MS-60B was ground breaking when it was released in 2013 and was the first multi-fx I ever bought. Here's a little comparison of how the B1-4 builds on its older siblings capabilities:

Advs of B1-4

• significantly easier to use interface. The MS-60B used to do my head in before the advent of patch editing software; but the ToneLib PC editing software is free, easy to use and makes creating and editing patches a doddle on all Zoom pedals and has levelled the playing field on that score.
• live use: global EQ and volume knobs (vs in patch only on MS-60B)
• live use: ability to scroll up and down through 5 banks of 10 patches (vs 26 in one direction only, I recall, on the MS-60B)
• live use: two decent flappy paddles (vs 1 stomp switch on the MS-60B)
• live use: useful 3 light led tuner: great for dark stages / venues
• latest chip set, same as the B3N => up to 5 effects per patch (vs 4 on the MS-60B); and you can set to use a patch as a bank of 5 individual effects which is very neat
• capable headphone amp with aux in
• excellent and easy to access drum machine for home practice (IMO the looper is pretty meh)
• cheaper - which can be a bit of a surprise given how much extra it offers!

Advs of the MS-60B

• half the footprint
• greater range of effects patches
• bomb proof metal case 

I've had three MS-60Bs come and go over the years. But for me the B1-4 is without doubt the better and much more usable piece of kit, and is happily sitting at the heart of my small pedal board now.

 

B1-4 / B1(X)-4 effects list  (I think the B3N effects are pretty much identical)

B1-4(X) Effects (2019).pdf

 

Zoom B1-4 PATCH LIBRARY (user created patches)

Notes

1. These can be accessed via the ToneLib software - go to an empty patch and top right click on "Import the patch data from a file".

2. Please note that unfortunately the patches are model specific e.g. a B1-4 patch can't be used on a B1-4X or B3N

3. If you have any B1-4 patches you would like to share then please post and I'll also upload them here (not sure I can access your B1-4X or B3N patches to physically upload here - but I can certainly provide a link to your post, for ease of reference).

B1-4 patchesA. 

A. Amp & Cab

Free Bman [JdB-A&C].zb1f FreeTE4x12 [JdB-A&C].zb1f

B. Modulation

AnalogCho [AK-Mod].zb1fAnalChoDri [AK-Mod].zb1f Delay 90 [AK-Mod].zb1f Delay 400 [AK-Mod].zb1f Phaser [AK-Mod].zb1fTapeEch300 [AK-Mod].zb1f Tremolo [AK-Mod].zb1f TapeTrem [AK-Mod].zb1fWah Slap [AK-Mod].zb1f WahSlapBk [AK-Mod].zb1f

C. Compression

Glam Comp [AK-Comp].zb1f Limiter [AK-Comp].zb1f

D. Drive & Fuzz

BlueB BOD [AK-Dri].zb1f BManDrive [AK-Dri].zb1f BOF [AK-Dri].zb1f DG B7K [AK-Dri].zb1f Atreides [AK-Dri].zb1f Xotic BB [AK-Dri].zb1f

E. EQ

Presence [AK-Mod].zb1f Motown [AK-EQ].zb1f

F. Other FX

 

P. Pitch Shift

+1 Semi [AK-Pitch].zb1f +1 Tone [AK-Pitch].zb1f -1 Semi [AK-Pitch].zb1f -1 Tone [AK Pitch].zb1f

 

R. Reverb

Reverb [AK-Reverb].zb1f

Edited August 26, 2022 by Al Krow
Patch library update

[Al Krow]

Slapback (short) delay 

Edited May 11, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

First one up-loaded to get the ball rolling  

- short 70 ms delay

- bit of reverb added via the HD Hall

Great for something like Donna Summer "I feel love".

Edited May 11, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

I'll be adding the Low EQ (HPF) at the start of all my patches to cut out 'low end crud' now I have managed to download that onto my B1X-4 from the Zoom GuitarLab website. I've gone for Shelf mode, cut off at 40Hz (just below the open E) -12 cut. [See uploaded patch for the B1-4 on 1 Nov 2020].

I've also found that adding the Zoom Noise Reduction effect (ZNR) typically at the end of the chain is great with dealing with 'noisy' patches particularly some of the drive effects.

Edited November 1, 2020 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

ZTron Twin patch which takes its cue from the Aguilar Filter Twin but in a much less civilised way! Makes use of two ZTron effects next to each other one providing a down sweep and the other an up sweep. Sounds great through headphones but has quite a kick through my amp and cab and may require a little 'taming'! 😀

Edited May 12, 2019 by Al Krow

[jrixn1]

7 hours ago, Al Krow said:

I'll be adding the Low EQ (HPF) at the start of all my patches to cut out 'low end crud' now I have managed to download that onto my B1X-4 from the Zoom GuitarLab website. I've gone for Shelf mode (rather than HPF), cut off at 30Hz (just below the low B), -12 cut and vol at 70.

The answer probably already exists but buried in the hpf thread somewhere -  remind why you use shelf instead of hpf?

FWIW I run my hpf at 60Hz (also for a 5-string).

 

[Al Krow]

12 hours ago, jrixn1 said:

The answer probably already exists but buried in the hpf thread somewhere -  remind why you use shelf instead of hpf?

FWIW I run my hpf at 60Hz (also for a 5-string).

Shelf = abrupt cut off of everything below the 'shelf' level (in my case 30 Hz) i.e. a 'cliff edge' cut off. Useful if you're only using to get rid of low end 'crud' (Edit: but based on our discussion below the HPF mode would seem to be better option for this).

The Hpf effect on the B14 is (I belive) acting at -12dB per octave so in your case it will start cutting at 60Hz, by 30 Hz, one octave below, it will be reducing volume by 12dB and by 15 Hz by 24 dB etc. Useful if you're looking to 'tighten things up' at the low end.

In your case you are cutting some of the fundamental notes on the B string which are already not going to be particularly easy to hear, given the combination of our hearing range attenuation and speaker frequency response which for most cabs will also be seeing some fall off in ability deliver low end. The low B is 31 Hz so you will be cutting the fundamental on that by approx 12dB. Not sure whether this was the intention? Tbf it's what a lot of sound engineers do and most of what we hear is at the first fundamental of the B string and above, anyway, which is 60Hz and not being touched by your HPF. I guess it's for the same reason that 4 string players might set their HPFs to start cutting at 80Hz i.e. just below the first fundamental of the low E string (low E fundamental = 41Hz).

Edited May 12, 2019 by Al Krow

[jrixn1]

Ah yes, I was going with the "twice the fundamental" rule of thumb.  I haven't actually got the Low EQ effect installed yet - computer issues - but once I do I was thinking of having one hpf at 60Hz and a second at 30Hz.  This is how the the fdeck "12+12" filter works.

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, jrixn1 said:

Ah yes, I was going with the "twice the fundamental" rule of thumb.  I haven't actually got the Low EQ effect installed yet - computer issues - but once I do I was thinking of having one hpf at 60Hz and a second at 30Hz.  This is how the the fdeck "12+12" filter works.

Any reason not to have it in shelf mode for the 30Hz one and potentially improve on the fdeck? 

[jrixn1]

I thought shelf reduces by a fixed amount, whereas the hpf will keep on reducing.

If you'll excuse the lame diagram...
blue = shelf
green = hpf

 

Edited May 11, 2019 by jrixn1

[jrixn1]

[Al Krow]

John - thanks. Having looked at the likely impact of both online your diagram seems pretty spot on! I had thought that the shelf EQ would provide a steeper and deeper cut at the relevant frequency, but that appears mistaken.

In which case I will amend my switch settings to be HPF rather than Shelf on all my patches (fortunately just a 3 minute job using ToneLib!). 

[Al Krow]

Glam Comp - seems to get pretty close to what my 'straight out of the box' set-up Spectracomp is doing on about 3/10 (which is my 'always on' setting for it).

Edited May 12, 2019 by Al Krow

[Al Krow]

For my part, I'd really like to hear from fellow B1-4 / B3N users out there what your favourite Zoom drive effects / patches are that you have put together and what are you doing to preserve a meaty low end?

Edited May 12, 2019 by Al Krow

[JohnDaBass]

So here is my Patch for the Free & Bad Company songs. Fender P Bass, flats, & tone fully open into Fender Rumble 500 Head( set flat) & BF SC

 

Edited May 17, 2019 by JohnDaBass
errors

[Al Krow]

Nice simple octaver setting for thickening up your sound without being overpowering.

I've not managed to get that iconic 'OC2' sound on my B1X-4 so my Valeton OC-10 (an excellent Boss OC-2 clone) will be sticking around on my board for a while yet!

Edited May 18, 2019 by Al Krow

[Guest MoJo]

@Al Krow Saved both your Glam Comp settings and your Free Bman patch to my B3n. I shall be trying out the HPF in front of my patches too. Any thoughts on putting the HPF at the end of the chain to cut out an low frequencies created by the effects?

[Al Krow]

15 minutes ago, MoJo said:

@Al Krow Saved both your Glam Comp settings and your Free Bman patch to my B3n. I shall be trying out the HPF in front of my patches too. Any thoughts on putting the HPF at the end of the chain to cut out an low frequencies created by the effects?

The Free Bman is actually @JohnDaBass's contribution rather than mine (credit where it's due and all that! )

A lot effects end up cutting some of the bass frequencies rather than adding to them (which is why clean blend is such a "thing"). The key concern for me would be some of the filter and synth effects - and it's not going to be low frequencies that are the main issue there (particularly if you have already stripped these with an HPF at the start of your chain) but signal spikes. If you want to protect your cabs against unwanted signal spikes then a limiter sim is what you need at the end of the patches.

You may, of course, want to use two HPFs in the chain to have an effective twin HPF set-up in the way @jrixn1 described above - but that would be a general approach rather than specifically to deal with low frequencies created by effects. 

If you look at my board pic (on the B1-4 thread), I effectively do have two HPFs in my signal chain: the Thumpinator right at the start and the HPF which is in all my patches (including "clean") on my B1X-4. But personally I'd be relaxed about having just one HPF on my B3n or B1X-4, particularly if it's taking up patch space for something that could be more useful (or fun e.g. the Wah sim for use with an expression pedal!)

Hope that helps.

Edited May 19, 2019 by Al Krow

[LukeFRC]

@Al Krow - thanks for this thread - I've had fun trying out some of your settings- esp the Glam comp

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, LukeFRC said:

@Al Krow - thanks for this thread - I've had fun trying out some of your settings- esp the Glam comp

You're very welcome! Are you finding the Glam comp as good as I've been spouting on about it?

[LukeFRC]

Just now, Al Krow said:

You're very welcome! Are you finding the Glam comp as good as I've been spouting on about it?

yes. When it came out there were a load of folk on talkbass saying how it was "it" - I could never get it dialled in in a way that didn't sound utterly OTT though. 

[LukeFRC]

Do you not think that someone should make a digital multi-fx with metering of some kind.... how simple would controlling gain levels or setting up a compressor be with a bit of metering?? 

[JohnDaBass]

@Al Krow, please would you share your "Gain" setting on your Low Eq ?

Type >>>  HPF

Freq>>>> 30

Gain>>>   6????

Vol>>>    70

Is that correct?

Cheers Bas

[Al Krow]

@JohnDaBass with pleasure.

My B1X-4 is actually in my gig bag with my drummer who took a whole bunch of stuff for us following our last gig as I had to stay behind with PA and get an Uber! 

So it's going to be a few days before I get hold of the pedal again.

But in the meantime worth noting that I have not set volume and gain in a particularly scientific manner - just balanced volume and gain so that the overall volume effect is neutral compared to by-pass.

 

[operative451]

Some patches for you (in attached Zip)

Green is based on Mike Dirnt's sound in this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwVKj3whFcs

Duff Slap is trying to get a tone like Duff MCkagen circa Velvet Revolver

Blood FST started out trying to be a sort of Royal Blood thing but then went a bit 'Satan's fairground Organ'/'Choir of Angry Robots'

DrFkenstein is basically the sound of 1970s blacksploitation movies.

And some Guitar Sounds too! 

Stangry is an attempt at ST Anger Period Hetfield

 Gun is a Slashy cocked-wah solo tone.

There are screenshots of Zoom Guitar Lab for each in the folder too.  

Have fun!Basschat.zip